Atlantic City: Then and Now

• Fascinating then-and-now photographs highlight Atlantic City’s evolution-from its early days as a get-away for Philadelphians, through its decline in the mid-20th century, to its 21st century incarnation as a gambling and entertainment mecca.
• Stroll along the city’s famous Boardwalk! First built in 1870 to keep sand off hotel carpets, the Boardwalk has witnessed tremendous changes.
• Check in to some of the Eastern Seaboard’s most extravagant turn-of-the-century hotels like the Traymore, the Marlborough-Blenheim, and the Shelburne.
• See how Donald Trump turned swampland into gold, with photographs of the once impoverished Inlet area that now boasts high-end resorts.
• Take a spin on the world’s first Ferris wheel, at Missouri and Mississippi Avenues, now the site of the Trump Taj Mahal casino.
• Glimpse icons of the past, like Boardwalk Hall, home of the Miss America Pageant and the Chesterfield sign at Steeplechase Pier, once the world’s largest electric sign with 27,000 light bulbs.

Welcome to Atlantic City, New Jersey, the birthplace of many pop culture phenomena, including Monopoly, the Miss America Pageant, salt-water taffy and The Donald (Trump, that is). Discover the extraordinary history of this glamorous resort town in Atlantic City Then and Now, a new title in the top-selling Then and Now series.

• Fascinating then-and-now photographs highlight Atlantic City’s evolution-from its early days as a get-away for Philadelphians, through its decline in the mid-20th century, to its 21st-century incarnation as a gambling and entertainment mecca.
• Stroll along the city’s famous Boardwalk! First built in 1870 to keep sand off hotel carpets, the Boardwalk has witnessed tremendous changes.
• Check in to some of the Eastern Seaboard’s most extravagant turn-of-the-century hotels like the Traymore, the Marlborough-Blenheim, and the Shelburne.
• See how Donald Trump turned swampland into gold, with photographs of the once impoverished Inlet area that now boasts high-end resorts.
• Take a spin on the world’s first Ferris wheel, at Missouri and Mississippi Avenues, now the site of the Trump Taj Mahal casino.
• Glimpse icons of the past, like Boardwalk Hall, home of the Miss America Pageant and the Chesterfield sign, once the world’s largest electric sign with 27,000 light bulbs.

Ed Mauger, founder of Philadelphia on Foot, has fashioned unique tours based on his in-depth knowledge of city history and architecture and of the streets and byways of old Philadelphia. His wit, warmth and storytelling abilities have earned him praise as "Philadelphia's favorite colonial guide," as well as plaudits by critics from coast to coast. Dubbed a "genial campus legend" when he left his position as Associate Dean at Rutgers University, Ed has also authored several articles on Philadelphia history and colonial high life.